During surgical procedures the need often arises to drill a hole into a bone. Such holes may be used in various contexts. For example, a hole may be drilled into a bone in order to facilitate the insertion of a K-wire or to act as a pilot hole for later inserted objects such as screws or other fixation devices. When drilling a hole into a bone it is often preferred to locate and drill into the center of the bone. Utilizing the center of a bone maximizes the structural strength and capabilities of the bone. It also helps to prevent cracking or chipping of a bone structure during the surgical procedure, which can lead to undesired complications.
It may also be preferred to have a bone clamping device which is able to clamp onto a bone that is the subject of a particular surgical procedure. This clamping device may carry a drill guide apparatus in a manner that allows a surgeon to utilize the drill guide while the overall surgical instrument is held in place. Prior art clamping devices which are able to carry a drill guide have previously included overly complex mechanisms to maintain the drill guide in its centered position while arms of a clamp move into a clamped to position. Other prior art devices have included centering mechanisms which protrude forward with respect to the handles of a clamping device. These centering mechanisms are prone to get in the way of a surgeon while operating or could make undesired contact with a patient when the drill guide and clamping device are attached at steep angles with respect to a bone. Still further, prior art devices have provided for clamping mechanisms with detachable/adjustable drill guide placement. These devices are also not preferred in some instances as they may overly complicate the surgical procedure being performed. It is further appreciated that more complicated designs are also often more difficult to sterilize post-operation.